Louisville rises in On3 Consensus Team Recruiting Rankings

Louisville notched another win on the recruiting trail Monday by landing Douglasville (Ga.) four-star interior offensive lineman Madden Sanker. The pledge moved the Cardinals up to No. 14 in the 2023 On3 Consensus Team Recruiting Rankings. Louisville’s class is currently No. 3 in the ACC behind Clemson and Miami.

Sanker chose the Cardinals over Arkansas, Georgia, Miami, Michigan State and North Carolina. His decision elevated Louisville’s class two spots from No. 16.

“(Four-star) quarterback Pierce Clarkson got it all started with me and Louisville,” Sanker told On3’s Chad Simmons in May. “He hit me up two months before he committed and told me where he was going and I didn’t even know him. Since then, we have been talking, and he is definitely the leader of their class. He is getting guys from Georgia all the way out to California to pick Louisville.”

Sanker is the No. 121 overall recruit and the No. 8 interior offensive lineman in the 2023 On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He is also the No. 8 player in Georgia.

Sanker is the latest big-impact commitment for Louisville

The 6-foot-4, 306 pound blocker is ranked above every Louisville pledge except for El Campo (Tex.) four-star running back Rueben Owens and Los Alamitos (Calif.) St. John Bosco four-star wide receiver DeAndre Moore Jr.

Even though he is the Cardinals’ first pledge of July, Sanker is continuing momentum for Louisville on the recruiting trail. The Cardinals landed three commitments in June including Owens, New Palestine (Ind.) three-star offensive tackle Luke Burgess and Fort Myers (Fla.) three-star interior offensive lineman Jordan Church, who attends IMG Academy.

Owens, the No. 33 overall prospect and No. 2 running back in the On3 Consensus, chose Louisville over multiple programs including Texas and Texas A&M.

“So when I went up to Louisville, I didn’t think it was going to be how it was tonight,” Owens told On3’s Hayes Fawcett on why he committed to the Cardinals. “(I thought) it was going to be a dry town, but it’s like a city with a lil’ bit of country and I liked that. I also liked how I was treated and my family. So we went to Churchill Downs and mad people were showing love, taking pictures and things.”

Most of Louisville’s top pledges have come after the commitment of Clarkson, the No. 213 overall prospect and No. 11 quarterback in the On3 Consensus. Since Clarkson announced his commitment to Louisville on Jan. 28, the Cardinals have landed Owens, Moore Jr., Sanker, Corona (Calif.) Centennial four-star cornerback Aaron Williams, Suwanee (Ga.) Collins Hill four-star safety Jayden Davis and Bellflower (Calif.) St. John Bosco four-star athlete Jahlil McClain among others.

“All of the coaches on the staff and the people who work with the program and the players, we’re going to build something special together,” Clarkson told On3’s Chad Simmons in May. “And we’re doing it as we speak, recruiting one of the best classes that Louisville has had. We’re going to make Louisville one of the most known and talked about cities in college football.”

Cardinals may soon land another blue-chip recruit

Miami Norland four-star running back Javin Simpkins is deciding between Arkansas, Georgia Tech, Louisville, Texas and UCF. According to the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine, the Cardinals are the favorite to land Simpkins at 42.8%.

Simpkins took his official visit to Louisville on June 17 and also officially visited Arkansas a week later. He told On3’s Jeremy Johnson in February that he built strong connections with Texas running backs coach Tashard Choice, Louisville running backs coach De’Rail Sims and Arkansas running backs coach Jimmy Smith.

“The bond I have with them is beyond football,” Simpkins said. “I appreciate that they’re not just recruiting me as a football player. They’re recruiting me as a person. They’re ready to develop me as a man.”